Notes
This was the antechamber where those who had been summoned by the Council of Ten waited to be called and the magnificent decor was intended to underline the solemnity of the Republic's legal machinery, some of the most famous and efficient components of which were housed in these rooms. The decor dates from the 16th century, and it was Veronese who was commissioned to decorate the ceiling. Completed in 1554, the works he produced are all intended to exalt the "good government" of the Venetian Republic; the central panel, with St. Mark descending to crown the three Theological Virtues, is a copy of the original, now in the Louvre. Sansovino designed the large fireplace in 1553-54.
References
Lorenzetti, Venice and Its Lagoon: Historical-Artistic Guide (Rome: Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, 1961) as translated and with supplementary content by Taryn Marie Zarrillo, 2012/13
